This invention relates in general to body and frame assemblies for vehicles. In particular, this invention relates to an improved method for securing a body mount support bracket to a frame portion of a vehicle body and frame assembly so as to provide increased strength.
Many land vehicles in common use, such as automobiles, vans, and trucks, include a body and frame assembly that is supported upon a plurality of ground-engaging wheels by a resilient suspension system. The structures of known body and frame assemblies can be divided into two general categories, namely, separate and unitized. In a typical separate body and frame assembly, the structural components of the body portion and the frame portion of the vehicle are separate and independent from one another. When assembled, the frame portion of the assembly is resiliently supported upon the vehicle wheels by the suspension system and serves as a platform upon which the body portion of the assembly and other components of the vehicle can be mounted. Separate body and frame assemblies of this general type are found in most older vehicles, but remain in common use today for many relatively large or specialized use modern vehicles, such as large vans, sport utility vehicles, and trucks. In a typical unitized body and frame assembly, the structural components of the body portion and the frame portion are combined into an integral unit that is resiliently supported upon the vehicle wheels by the suspension system. Unitized body and frame assemblies of this general type are found in many relatively small modern vehicles, such as automobiles and minivans.
In a typical separate type of vehicle body and frame assembly, the frame portion has a plurality of body mount support brackets secured thereto. The body mount support brackets are provided to facilitate the connection of the body portion of the vehicular body and frame assembly to the frame portion. Typically, each of the body mount support brackets has a generally inverted U-shaped configuration, including a central body portion having a pair of leg portions depending therefrom. An opening is formed through the central body portion of each of the body mount support brackets to facilitate the connection of the body portion of the vehicle body and frame assembly to the frame portion.
Traditionally, each of the body mount support brackets has been secured to a structural component of the frame portion of the vehicular body and frame assembly by initially disposing the central body portion and the leg portions thereof in abutment with the structural component, then securing such central body portion and leg portions to the structural component, such as by welding, adhesives, and the like. Although this method has been effective, it has been found that the capacity of the body mount support bracket to support a load thereon is limited by the overall strength and rigidity of the body mount support bracket. It would be desirable to provide an improved method for securing a body mount support bracket to a frame portion of a vehicle body and frame assembly so as to provide increased strength and rigidity.